Religion News: Help homeless prep for winter

Beaufort County's homeless will get some help preparing for the winter at an Everyone Counts! event from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Charles Lind Brown Activity Center on Greene Street in Beaufort.

Beaufort County could have more than 2,000 displaced people, according to estimates from a previous Everyone Counts! event sponsored by Together for Beaufort County's Community Services Organization. They are couch surfing or living in their cars or tent cities.

Free rides to the event will be provided by various churches at pick-up points. Those in need will receive free, warm clothing and blankets and hygiene products; a catered meal; and assistance from health care professionals, barbers, cosmetologists and Veterans Affairs and Medicaid advisers. Telephone services and resume writing services will be offered to provide tools necessary to break the cycle of homelessness.

Volunteers are needed to offer food, cosmetology, and dental and medical services. Donations of clothes, food and volunteers also are being sought. Items being collected include coats, gloves, hats, socks, blankets, sleeping bags and especially extra large sweat suits.

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"Our goal is to try to help individuals and families to get ready for the winter," said Mike Green, lead pastor for The Link, one of many churches supporting the event. "They wear clothes until they wear them out or get something new. What they really prize is extra large sweat suits because they can pull them on and tighten them up to fit. They can wear them over their clothes, as they often wear multiple layers."

Previous events counted 200 people who are declared legally homeless by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development. If that count represents 10 percent of the entire population, Fred Leyda, facilitator of Beaufort County Human Services Alliance, estimates there could be 2,000 homeless people county-wide.

But counting the local homeless population is difficult.

"It is a hard population to get a fix on," Green said. "They don't want to be found. They worry the police will find them and they move."

The new homeless are families with small children often living in cars or moving around from one family member's house to another, Green said. The Beaufort County School District declared 192 children as homeless last school year, Green said.

"Parents are reluctant to admit that their kids are homeless because Department of Social Service rules won't allow children to be homeless," Green explained. "Parents play that pretty close to the vest, because they don't want their children taken away."

Green said those numbers are "terrifying," knowing that there are many more displaced people that are not counted.

But counts are necessary to qualify for state and federal resources, said Chrystie Turner, director of resource services for United Way of the Lowcountry and one of six members of Community Services Organization's executive committee. Turner called the issue "a political hot potato."

"To some people, admitting we have a homeless problem tarnishes our image too much," Turner said. "Some believe if we help them they will stay here and it will get worse. The population will grow. We have to try to figure out how to help the homeless we have and how do we take care of their needs without damaging our economy."

Turner said there are homeless people living in tent cities on Hilton Head Island, in the woods on St. Helena Island and in deserted buildings.

"How many people know there are homeless tent cities on Hilton Head? It hurts the image of Hilton Head, but yet it is a reality," Turner said.

The church will sell Krispy Kreme donuts, soft drinks and water from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. today in the Food Vendor Section of the Gopher Hill Festival in Ridgeland. The church also has a float in the parade.

The church is at 131 South Carters Mill Road, Ridgeland. All proceeds benefit the church building fund and community service projects.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND

The youth group will sponsor an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 7:30-9:30 a.m. today at Applebee's on Hilton Head Island. The cost is $5 and includes bacon, sausage and beverage. Proceeds will offset mission trip expenses.

A concert and birthday celebration for Gillison Branch Pastor Raymond Hamilton is at 6 p.m. today at St. Stephen AME Church, S.C. 46/Main Street, Hardeeville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Featured guests include Lonnie Coppock and Perfect Praise, the Anointed Voicne Accord Gospel Ministry, Brother Gerald Fazier and the Gospel Warriors and more. A freewill offering will be taken.

The church is holding a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls Sunday through Oct. 30. The public is invited to recycle their gently worn or new shoes to help distribute to people in need. Several shoe-donation boxes are placed throughout the church at 408 Carteret St. in Beaufort. Soles4Souls collects and distributes shoes to people living in extreme poverty and recovering from natural disasters.

Pumpkin Delivery Day is at 3 p.m. Sunday. The church bazaar is from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15.

The 20th Life Chain will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday in Beaufort, rain or shine. Life Chain is a Pro-Life Prayer service. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. in front of the Beaufort County Courthouse. At 2 p.m., local pastors will pray. Then, participants will proceed to the sidewalks of Ribaut Road and Boundary Street holding pro-life signs and will remain in silent prayer until 3:30 p.m.

Details: Theresa Pulliam, 843-524-2604

UNITY CHURCH OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND

The church moves to the Seaquins Ballroom starting its first Sunday service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The ballroom is near Tanger Outlet Center 1 at 1300 Fording Island Road, Bluffton. Child care is available.

The Fall Revival is at 7 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. A covered-dish dinner will follow the morning worship service Sunday. The revival speaker is the Rev. Mark Hunnicutt, associate pastor at Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, N.C., and professor at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute.

The church is on U.S. 278, between Hampton and Grays.

Details: 843-726-5074

CONGREGATION BETH YAM

A memorial service is at 11 a.m. Sunday at Six Oaks Cemetery. Yom Kippur services begin with the Kol Nidre Service on Friday. There will be a morning service at 10 a.m. Oct. 8, a family service at 2 p.m., an afternoon service at 3:15 p.m. and the Yizkor and Ne'ilah concluding service at 5 p.m. At the conclusion of the services at 6:30 p.m., there will be a Break the Fast at All Saints Church, next to the synagogue.

Eliot Spitzer and Alan Dershowitz will speak at 7 p.m. Sunday during broadcast of the Live from NY's 92nd Street Y Speakers Series. Spitzer is anchor of CNN's "In the Arena" and former governor of New York. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the author of many books, including his most recent, "The Trials of Zion." All services will be held on Meeting Street, Hilton Head Island.

Details: 843-689-2178

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF BEAUFort

The Rev. Jeanne Pupke, senior minister for the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, Va., will speak on "How I Almost Did Not Become a Unitarian Universalist" at 10 a.m. Sunday. The fellowship meets at 1ms Point Road, Lady's Island.

Details: 843-838-1399

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SOCIETY OF BEAUFORT

"Unreality" will be the Bible lesson topic presented at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m. The society meets at Temple Beth Israel, 401 Scott St., Beaufort. The public is invited to tune in to WLOW 107.9 FM at 8:30 a.m. Sundays to hear how people overcome illness, relationship difficulties, financial hardships and other trials through prayer. The weekly broadcast is sponsored by the Christian Science churches of Beaufort, Hilton Head and Savannah.

Details: 843-441-2262

ST. LUKE'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Recovery Services are held from 7-8 p.m. every Tuesday at the church in Bluffton/Okatie. The church near the back gates of Sun City Hilton Head is open to anyone seeking spiritual solutions to life's problems. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. with Pastor Richard Smith and other members and guests over coffee in the social hall. The service begins at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary with live contemporary Christian music.

Details: 843-705-7939

WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Donations for the Wesley Fall Bazaar may be dropped off from 10 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Education Building at Duke and West streets, Beaufort. The bazaar is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15.

Details: 843-524-5918

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Kol Nidre Yom Kippur services are at 6:45 p.m. Friday. The Shabbat Yom Kippur is at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 with Yizkor approximately at 11:30 a.m., a break at 1:30 p.m. and resuming at 5 p.m. Also on Oct. 8, Mincha afternoon service begins at 5 p.m., with Ne'ilah concluding service at 6 p.m. Break fast begins at 7 p.m. in the synagogue social hall. Participants are asked to bring a dairy dish to share. Erve Succoth is at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 with a short Kiddush in Succah after the services. The first day of Succoth is at 10 a.m. Oct. 13 in the synagogue. The Shabbat Hol Hamoed Succoth is at 7 p.m. Oct. 14. the Erev Shmini Atzeret, Yizkor is at 7 p.m. Oct. 19. The Erve Siimchat Torah is at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 20. Shabbat Breishit is at 10 a.m. Oct. 22. Rosh Chodesk is at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 and Shabbat Rosh Chodesk is at 10 a.m. Oct. 29.

The synagogue is behind the historic Beaufort Arsenal on Scott Street, Beaufort.

Yom Kippur and Kol Nidre services are at 7 p.m. Friday. Morning service is at 10 a.m. Oct. 8. Yizkor follows the morning service. A discussion group begins at 4 p.m., and Nilah is at 5 p.m. The group meets at the Lowcountry Presbyterian Church, Simmonsville Road and U.S. 278, Bluffton.

The Blessing of the Animals in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi will be directed by the Rev. Chris Gardner from 3-4 p.m. Oct. 8. All animals will receive a blessing certificate and a medal of St. Francis to commemorate the day. The event is open to the public, regardless of denomination. The church is at 1 Mathews Drive, Suite 101, Hilton Head Island

The Women's Ministry will host its annual Women's Day at 11 a.m. Oct. 9. Evangelist Annette Williams of Fairview Missionary Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., will speak. The annual Fall Revival is at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-13. The Revivalist will be Pastor Van Gaines of Samaritan Baptist Church in Varnville. The church is at 189 Orange Grove Road, St. Helena Island.

Details: 843-838-4128, 843-838-7793

PROVIDENCE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Women's Ministries will host its annual Fall Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 12 in the church fellowship hall on Hilton Head Island. Darcie Gill, mission representative foce of the Martyrs, will speak on Christians persecuted around the world. Cost is $17. Details: Joan Perry, 843-671-3793